The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-06

Az n IL, IN 1884 nearly 5000 lunches were en-
ported from Livingston. The yellow banana,
We learn, sometimes has $50 fruits on O bunch !
the plantain seldom moro than 90. According
to Mr.. Brigham. few Northsrners appreciate
the wonderful nutritive properties Of the plan
tain, which In this respect sufpasses the be-
mana" The plsntain n also q more profitable
crop per acre. II seems that both bananas and
plantains are usually planted In . coffee walk,
or In cacao or orange orchard, to shade the
young plants We may also note that bananas,
like certain pears, should not DO allowed to
rtpen ON the trees.
They who prize the oranges Of Florida, or
who are counting upon profit from orange Gull
tivation In that State, will hear with some dis
may what Mr.. Brigham has written upon the
subject after eating the fruit OF duatemals.
and surveying tho facilities for its production
afforded by that country. Tho delusion," says
the author, (which has led 20 many 70 plant
orange trees on the frost-visited sand banks OF
Florida has at least turned the attention OF
Americans to the desirability Of orange walks
not too remote from our principal fruit mar
kets. The Florida oranges. while sweet and
juicy. are wanting In favor, especially the
mandarin sort, which Ia far inferior to the fruit
Of that variety raised In China Even the
superior to those Of Florida. are not
flrst-rate. As substitute for these un-
suitable regions Guatemala offers great
advantages. At Teleman, on the Polochic.
tho quality even OF the uncultivated fruit to
nearly equal to that Of the Syrian oranges
that is, finer than any have soon In Jamaica
or the West Indies Renerally--and the same
fruit can DO raised on all the Guatemalan bot
tom lands Of tho Atlantic coast. Oranges OF
many varieties can also be grown In the great
est perfection in tho rich upland valleys" As
to pineapples, doubt Is expressed whether
the finer sorts grown In Guatemala can
drive the inferior but cheaper varieties OF the
West Indies from our markets.. Mr.. Brigham
likewise dwells at length on the cocoanut, the
cacao, the nutmeg. and divers food plants OF
Guatemala, but we must here pass over these
products with bare allusion-
To the recent and present political history OF
Guatemala the author refers with much ctrcum-
spection, seemingly contemplating second
sojourn. and perhaps prolonged residence In
that country. But In speaking Of the late Gen.
Barrios. whom he knew. he is evidently dis
posed to concur with other competent obscrv-
ers in O relatively high opinion of that usurp-
or. However arbitrary and brutal may have
been the processes BY which Barrios acquired
and maintained his power, 1t is. according to
Mr.. Brigham, incontestable that he used It to
the decided advantage OF his countrymen.
having carried Guatemala further, during his
few years OF office. in tho path OF enlighten-
ment and progress than 1t had advanced dur.
ing the whole preceding period. which began
with the war for liberation from the tyranny
OF Spain. M w. II.
A DeIishtfal Irish Novel.
They who have read Hogan. NJ. p" and
other books by the same author, arc fully
aware that Mrs NOEL HARTtEY Is In our day
unequslled "a depicter Of Irish life and char
acter She is not only . better artist than
Miss Edgeworth. but she Is far more trust
worthy expounder Of social philosophy. which.
as we need hardly say. must enter largely into
any delineation OF contemporary ireland. Her
native gifts and her acuuirements are seen
at their best In her latest novel, Ls-
mays Children (Maomillansl In this story
constructive skill has evolved some very
effective situations and apt incidental COCA
sions for the portrayal Of interesting scenes
and the projection Of strong or winning char
acters. That is to say. the author never for
gets that she 10 anovelist, whose primary func-
ton is to please. 1t ID we'll. seeing that We
mean to allude presently to the utility Of this
work Of fiction. to begin By pointing out its
readers utterly Indifferent to the agronomtcal
and political problems now being worked out
in Ireland may peruse "Ismsy's Children"
with as keen and lively satisfaction Is II 1t
were intended and qualified only to amuse.
We ourselves read the book through at q sit
ting under an impulse Of genuine enjoyment
But as We turned back over the pages We
marked not q few which cast the powerful
light. only derivable from personal acquaint-
ance with actual facts, on the social and agra
rian difficulties encountered In dealing with
the more agitated sections Of Munster and
Connaught Here we are helped to UNDER
stand. perhaps as thoroughly as any distant
spectator may hope to do. the perploxing and
anomalous. the always strained and often rup-
tured relations, between the class Of landown-
ers, on the one hand. and on the other the tom
ant farmers tho agricultural laborers. tho
shopkeepers. the petty professional men and
local bankers, and sometimes even the
agents deputed to carry out evictions
and stop bullets In their employers stead.
Here also. and particularly on pages 1879.
are brought out the fundamental differences
in the principles applied to the leasing OF land
by English and by Irish landlords respectively.
Without vivid conception Of the broad dis
tinction in the attitude OF q landowner toward
his tenants, according as his estate happens to
be situated on the east side or the west side Of
st. Georges Channel, it is impossible to COM
prehend why there has always been o land
question In Ireland. whereas In England It has
not been tho hinge Of national politics since
the reign Of Richard II. On this and many
another topic Of commanding public interest
We have gained more useful information from
-" Ismay's Children" than from some labored
histories and pretentious disquisitionS
Book Notes.
The Orange Judd Co publish Farm Applances" ed
tied by George A. Martin excellent practical manual
$50 illustrations.
We have receiver from william Jenkins parts four
and I'VE Of Victor HuRo's "Los Missrablss" In the
LII t,daau al,n Ela